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NC awarded $500,000 to help connect low-income households with high-speed internet

North Carolina is receiving a $500,000 federal grant to help people afford high-speed internet access. 

Governor Roy Cooper announced last week that the funding from the Federal Communications Commission will benefit the state’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). 

The program offers a $30 per month discount on high-speed internet service to eligible low-income households. Those residing on qualifying tribal lands are eligible for a $75 per month discount. One-time copays are also available for laptop, tablet, or desktop computers.

Households may be eligible if they earn at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines, participate in federal assistance programs, or are approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch and breakfast program.

State officials say the FCC grant will support government and community outreach and help to promote in-person enrollment events.

According to a news release, more than 690,000 low-income households are currently enrolled in the ACP program. The state has a goal of having one million households participating by the end of 2024.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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